St. Petersburg Times endorses Steve Kornell

Victory Fund candidate Steve Kornell has earned the endorsement of the St. Petersburg Times. The paper’s editorial board wrote:

A St. Petersburg native, Kornell, 43, has spent his professional career amid the city’s youth, first as a city recreation manager and now as a social worker in the Pinellas County schools. He sees politics as the natural progression of his career, so that he can help implement sound, long-term policies that will improve people’s lives, particularly children’s. A former manager of Childs Park Recreation Center, he advocates the city and schools work together to provide intervention in at-risk children’s lives before they can turn to crime. In his current job, he works to keep at-risk children in school and occasionally helps families at risk of homelessness access resources to keep a roof over their heads.

Kornell does not claim government spending will solve all problems, and he advocates maintaining much of the city’s existing reserves for hurricanes and other emergencies. He is dubious about whether the city needs more police officers or just a return to some community-based policing policy. He wants to find a plan for the Pier that will eliminate the city’s $1.5 million annual operating subsidy. And while he isn’t opposed to a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium, he says he does not want to increase the city’s annual debt payments.

Rouson, 42, a member of the Pinellas County Housing Authority, and Smith, 48, a retired St. Petersburg police officer, also have records of civic engagement, including Smith’s notable service for years as a youth coach and as an administrator of Eckerd College’s National Youth Sports Program. But neither are as succinct or well-versed on the issues as Kornell. In District 5, the Times recommends Steve Kornell.

Learn about how you can help Steve become St. Petersburg’s first openly LGBT city councilmember here.